Nightmare World
by GS2aholic
Summary: Dib is hospitalized for mysterious injuries and Gaz investigates what could be proof that her nightmare world really exists. *I suck at summaries* Slight ZAGR warning. Rated for infrequent Profanity and Violence *Chapter 10 Up*
1. Nightmares Beginning

Author's Note: Alright, first things first. I got the idea for this story from a damn good story called 'Nightmares' in the Powerpuff Girl section. Go read it. And if DevilHunter37 is reading this, I'm only taking the idea of a horrible alternate world. Everything else is different. No stealing here, I promise. Yep. I think I'll add that everyone is older. And since most people change as they grow up, there is no out-of-characterness in this story. Or at least nothing extreme. Okay, on to the story. (And by the way, I cannot seem to get the title to center. Nope, just can't.)

Disclaimer: Oh wait I forgot this. If you think I own Invader Zim, you are obviously on crack. No doubt about. This idea belongs to, as I already hinted, Devilhunter37. The end. Now you can go to the story.

Nightmare World 

By: GS2aholic

In the memory you'll find me   
Eyes burning up   
The darkness holding me tightly   
Until the sun rises up 

~(Forgotten) Linkin Park

          Gaz didn't even flinch as the thunder shook the house, or as the rain pounded the roof and the lightning flashed outside. She was absorbed in her game. Some would say that her eyes were turning square; but she wouldn't have listened. 

          The day had been good to her. It was a Friday and none of the teachers gave her any homework over the weekend. Or at least she didn't think they did. Her brother hadn't bothered her at all either. Dib had run off somewhere on the way home, a blessing to Gaz, and hadn't yet come home. So the house was peaceful and quiet, despite the low jingle of the music from her contraption. Too bad it had to end.

          Gaz jumped as the door slammed open, her reflexes immediately putting her game on pause as Dib struggled to push the door shut against the wind.

          "Dammit Dib, must you always make a commotion when you walked into the house?!" Gaz spat angrily at her brother.

          "Dammit Gaz, must you always find some fault with me?!" He shot back. He was soaked from head to toe; he had just been tortured by a little robot that screeched about nonsense continuously; and Gaz thought that he should care about how much noise he made when he came in the house.

          "God Dib, the problems are everywhere, I only thought I should point them out to you," she said bitterly as she turned on her game again, drowning out Dib's nauseating voice with the music.

          Gaz had advanced a level when Dib came back in with a glass of orange juice, his wet clothes still sticking to his skin. He sat down beside his sibling, the click of the buttons and the music right in his ear.

          "Gaz, could you turn that music down?" Dib grumbled at his sister as he searched for the remote. She didn't answer him.

          "Gaz, please!" He pleaded, retrieving the remote from the couch's depths. She again didn't answer him.

          He groaned in defeat, pressing the power button on the remote. When it didn't turn on, Dib mumbled profanities under his breath and retrieved some batteries from the table. They were more than likely Gaz's, but she didn't say anything, and Dib hoped to God she wouldn't notice.

          He tried the button again and it didn't respond. _Oh great, now I'm stuck in the house with blasting music and I'm missing the highlight of my evening, _Dib thought, referring to _Mysterious Mysteries._

          "Will you turn the Goddamn music down!!" He yelled loudly. Gaz shot a look at him, then returned to her game. He wasn't going to ruin her day.

          Of course, it was at that moment that all the electricity decided to fail, Gaz's Gameslave's screen providing the only light in the room. 

          Dib rummaged through the dark, looking for a flashlight, or at least a lighter to provide additional light. It maddened him that she lifted no finger to help him, just to press the buttons. He felt like he was going to blow-up, and blow-up he did.

          "Gaz, will you turn that thing off!!" He screamed, snatching it out of her hand and slamming it on the coffee table. Gaz's eyes widened as the screen went black, the music shut off, and the console sparked as a crack appeared across the screen.

          "Dib! You bastard!" She whispered harshly. She reached under the couch and brought up a flashlight, clicking it on to reveal an abused looking video game. She picked up her precious game and threw it in the trash on her way upstairs. "He will pay for that," she vowed. "And money isn't the only way."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Dib woke from his bed with a jolt, unsure what had spooked him so much. He looked around as he calmed his breathing and shuddered at the stillness of it all. Of course it was only 12 o' clock, but he wasn't even sure the air was moving.

          He swung his legs over the bed and lowered himself to the ground. But to his surprise, there was no floor, and he fell. He wasn't sure how long it was before he hit the ground. 

          When he opened his eyes he was on the floor right in front of the couch. The electricity was on again. He blinked at the intensity of the sudden light and the blare of the television. After recovery, Dib rose, turned everything off, and dragged himself to bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

          Gaz had been looking around the house for about fifteen minutes before she remembered that her Gameslave II had gone to the grave. Her face grew hot at the memory of it, and she wondered what she was to do for the whole weekend. Neither of the teenagers in the house had enough money for a new console; and their father had forgotten to give them their $50 for the week.

          She took little notice of her brother's tired looking body already in a chair. He hadn't gotten much sleep, his body's temperature seeming to alternate from hot to cold, plaguing his efforts.

          Gaz warmed a slice of cold pizza from the fridge, it being the only source of food in the house. The lady who their dad had hired to buy food for them hadn't arrived that week, due to a cold.

          Dib turned on the TV in the room, variously picking a channel to watch. It was the news, showing sarcastically exciting celebrity updates. It wasn't the first time someone divorced their 4th wife. 

          Dib groaned as the screen flickered. The storm had subsided, and he had hoped that they had the cable completely fixed already. The screen flickered again, and turned to normal, Britney Spears smiling on the screen as she talked about her latest video. Dib pressed a channel button, but the screened continued showing the same channel. 

Dib stared intensely at the screen, willing it to change as he pressed the buttons. He raised an eyebrow as Britney's smiling face melted, the colors on the screen running off the TV and dripping to the floor. His eyes widened as the pigments changed color and yelped as they turned a deep blood red, still dripping continuously as horrifying screams escaped the TV. 

          "Dear god, Gaz will you look at that!" He said, his voice shaking, tearing his eyes away to look at his sibling. Her face was emotionless as she looked up at the screen, and then returned to her food.

          "Yeah, that's the way I react when I see her too," she commented.

          Dib looked back at the screen, seeing Britney's face as she gave an annoying giggle. He cleaned his glasses and tried the channel button, it changed and Dib turned it off in disgust. His lack-of-sleep had taken a toll on him.

To be continued… 

_End note: _Hope that didn't suck to badly. I'm not the best at writing spooky things, but I did my best. Constructive criticism would be highly appreciated and flames will be used to melt more butter to spill on my friend's clothes. (Long story…) Honestly people, if you have that much of a problem with a story, just stop reading it. Easy as pie.


	2. And to Each His Own Nightmares

Author's note: I just realized that this is going to have some similarities with the Halloween episode. Fear not, I shall find a way to steer it on the right path! *Ahem* Time for the disclaimer.

Disclaimer: Let us look up the meaning of 'disclaimer': A repudiation or denial of responsibility or connection. In other words: I DON'T own Invader Zim! Carry on…

And To Each, His Own Nightmares 

By: GS2aholic
    
    Graffiti decorations
    
    Under a sky of dust
    
    A constant wave of tension
    
    On top of broken trust
    
    The lessons that you taught me

I learn were never true

Now I find myself in question

~Linkin Park ~Runaway

Dib ran down the street. He wasn't sure what was chasing him, but he sure didn't want to find out.

A string of fire lined the road and an occasionally ball of fire fell down onto the path. He yelped as something sliced down his leg, turning his head to look behind him. A silhouette of the creature was there right at his heals.

"And those were my favorite pants!" He complained as he ran, his breathing reducing to short gasps.

When he looked ahead again, he ran into a wall that was, to his horror, made of large dead roaches. He turned around and gasped as the predator laid a heavy slap on his face. As it slapped, it began to slowly chant his name.

"Dib… Dib…Dib…"

"DIB!" Gaz yelled, slapping her brother on the face. They had been walking to skool and suddenly he started running, stopping in the alley and falling down. 

He slowly came to, the scene he experienced before slowly fading as reality set in. He held up a head to his cheek, stopping Gaz's slapping and sitting up.

Gaz checked her watch and stood. "You had better hurry up Dib. Or you're going to be late again!" She warned and walked away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dib arrived to class late, just as Gaz had predicted. He didn't bother to say an excuse to Miss Bitters; it wasn't like she would listen. (They had to stay in the same building with the same teacher due to 'budget cuts'.)

He sat lazily in his seat, not reacting as a few balls of paper hit his head. It was a daily ritual, and Dib learned to quit complaining. Dib didn't even shoot a glare at his rival, the morning's events all to puzzling.

Zim looked at Dib from across the room. _He's planning something,_ Zim thought. _He has to be. He's usually ranting on. _He watched a Dib closed him eyes and stayed completely still. He continued starring as Miss Bitters began her lecture on Spam, and it's affects on the world's current doom level.

Dib moved, but only slightly. Then his eyes began twitching, each one separately. He covered his would-be ears as Dib suddenly started screaming, clutching his arm in agony. Dib got up and fell to the floor, his face scrunched up in pain as he moved his hands to his stomach.

It was then that he sat up suddenly, rubbing his head. He looked around the classroom at the blank stares of those who stood within. Zita raised her hand.

"I know what your thinking, but we used the last card on Keef last week," Miss Bitter's answered. The class groaned and Miss Bitter's materialized next to Dib. "But he should go home before his craziness spreads to the rest of us," she concluded and pointed to the door.

Zim continued eyeing Dib suspiciously as he walked to the door and left.

_Author's note:_ Alright, the second chapter is done. It was rather short though, but oh well. Again, constructive criticism would be accepted to no end. And any ideas for more nightmares would be helpful too. If you have one, please e-mail them to me.


	3. He Who Dreams Shall Perish

Author's Note: Not much to say, except this nightmare idea came from Deadlegato. Thank you very much! It was a very good idea!

Disclaimer: I wrote this before. If you're that interested, you to the last chapter and read it.

*He Who Dreams Shall Perish*

By: GS2aholic

_'What do I do to ignore them behind me?   
Do I follow my instincts blindly?   
Do I hide my pride / from these bad dreams   
And give in to sad thoughts that are maddening?'_

_~'By Myself' Linkin' Park___

            Gaz was a bit surprised when Dib didn't show up for lunch. He always said it was a good 'observation period' to spy on Zim. Gaz didn't doubt that Zim was an alien, as she had seen him numerous times without his disguise. She didn't care much, though she had to save her brother a lot from him and she wondered if he had anything to do with Dib's absence.

          In a rare flash of curiosity, Gaz rose from her seat and walked to Zim. _I need to get another Gameslave before I go truly insane,_ Gaz thought as she cleared her throat.

          "Alright Zim, what did you do to my brother this time?" She asked.

          Zim growled. It was the same human who always saved Dib when Zim had the upper hand. He wasn't sure why though; she seemed to hate him as much as he.

          "Foolish human, I, a normal human stink creature, did nothing with your idiotic brother." He turned in his seat.

          Gaz clenched her fist. _How much of an idiot does he think I am?_ She grabbed his shoulders and forcefully turned him around before stooping to look him in the eye. He gave an involuntary shudder.

          "Tell me what you did with him!"

          Zim slapped her hands away and glared back.

          "Little Gaz," he spat out. It was a little nickname he used when he wished to make a point. "Do you not think I would take full credit if I did anything to the Dib human?"

          Gaz stood. _He has a point._

          "Then where is he?"

          "If it'll make you go away, he started screaming in class and was sent home." He turned and poked at the slop on his tray.

          "Maybe this has something to do with what happened this morning…" Gaz concluded as she returned to her seat.

          Zim rolled his eyes. Humans and their petty problems. He could beat them any day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dib walked down the street. It was oddly enough empty. No dogs, stray cats, or busy people. There was no sign of birds or insects either, and it was starting to freak him out.

As he walked he notice the passing of familiar buildings. He looked down and noticed the road was now dirt and his footprints were now appearing, step-by-step, ahead of him. He stopped and the steps sped up, eventually coming from behind him and forcefully moved his feet. 

He was hit violently from behind, causing him to flinch. When he opened his eyes, he found himself on a stretcher, bright lights causing him to squint. A mischievous laugh caused him to turn his neck too fast, his vision blurring slightly. 

"I've got you now Zim and your about to witness your own autopsy!" A voice said. Zim? Autopsy?

"But I'm Dib!" He said.

The voices owner walked out of the shadows and Dib eyes widened as he saw himself.

"That's the stupidest thing I've heard from you yet, filthy alien!" 

Dib struggled to get up, but found himself in sharp restraints. He noticed that his skin was green now. He watched as his double held a butcher knife to his stomach and smoothly made the first cut. As the bluish blood trickled to the floor, Dib's vision began to clear and he looked at himself.

His skin began to change color and a few facial features slid off his face and plopped on the floor. Now it was Zim.

"How do you like that Dib?!" Zim laughed and slammed the butcher knife into Dib's exposed insides. Dib closed his eyes and screamed in agony.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself walking down the street, various people chattering happily by the road. 

_Nothing happened! It was all an act of imagination! _Dib thought happily. It was then that he felt the stickiness of his shirt. He looked down and found it coated with blue and red blood.

          Dib ran the rest of the way home.

To Be Continued… 

Note: I like the way that turned out, and I hope you do to. Any tips would be gladly taken.


	4. Remember, It's Just a Dream

Author's Note: Wow, bad me. It's been about three months since I last updated. Let's just say that I've had major writer's block, and I've been trying to get my chapters longer. Let's just see if this is any improvement at all. Whoo, am I terrible. Half the time I didn't have anything to do anyway. Wow.

Disclaimer: If you care that much, go back to the first chapter.

***Remember: It's Just a Dream***

How do you think / I've lost so much   
I'm so afraid / I'm out of touch   
How do you expect / I will know what to do   
When all I know / Is what you tell me to

**~Linkin' Park _By Myself_**

Dib's journey home was much like a flickering light bulb: At some points he was safe in the light of the real world, at other times he was in the lonely darkness of a nightmare. He arrived home dirty, scared, and tired, his wound almost yielding to bleed. He collapsed on the coach and soon fell into a dreamless sleep.

          Gaz, for reasons unknown to her, rushed home and found Dib in his pitiful state.

          "If dad sees Dib like this, he'll make me clean it up," she realized. She walked to Dib and hefted him over her shoulder. "Might as well get a head start!"

          She went upstairs to the bathroom and dumped Dib into the tub. She removed his trench coat, a gift from their mother, and threw it down the laundry shoot. She then turned on the water and let the cool liquid run over Dib, clothes and all, while she went to get some towels.

          Dib slowly opened his eyes, enjoying the feel of the cold water against his body. He watched the water dully fall from his fingers and his eyes widened in awe as it began to change color: from blue, to pink, to red. He watched his reflection the faucet as the water thickened and filled the tub rapidly, reminding him nauseously of…

          "Blood," he whispered. The tub began to fill faster and overflow: Dib quickly getting out and perching himself on the sink, shivering helplessly. Once the phenomena subsided and the blood turned back to water, he began to lower himself from the sink. The medicine cabinet silently opened and razors, cuticle scissors, and clippers flew out and began the viciously attack Dib, piercing his flesh as his blood mingled with the water soaked floor. Dib screamed loudly and, spitting up blood, collapsed to the floor.

          "Dib! This had better be important or I'll…" Gaz began, running into the room. She dropped her towels in shock as she saw Dib and the various sharp objects that littered the floor. She ran to him and ripped bits and pieces of the nearest towel for a temporary bandage. She subconsciously noticed that the tub was only filled up a quarter of the way as she turned of the water that now soaked the floor. Silently thanking God there was a phone in every room, she called the hospital.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Professor Membrane, or a screen rather, hovered back and forth outside Dib's room. At close glance one would notice that he wasn't paying attention at all and was once again lost in his work. Gaz sat behind him in a chair, engulfed in her Punch! Magazine.

A nurse walked past, humming an unknown tune, and entered Dib's room. It was quiet for a few moments before a scream escaped the cracks and into the hall, a few doctors running into the room.

Professor Membrane looked up and hovered into the room, Gaz unconsciously following.

Dib's body was spasming violently, blood seeping from his lips and onto the pillow. Two of the doctors help him down as one administered something to him. The spell seized and Dib's breathing calmed.

"My poor insane son," The Professor said. "Any idea what's wrong?"

The doctors shook their heads. "When he wakes, he complains of pain, monsters and blood."

"Could this have anything to do with what happened last time?"

"It's possible but not for sure. Now if you'll excuse me," one said and they left. The screen turned to Gaz.

"Return home Gaz and feed the puppy," he said and he hovered away. Gaz sighed and left.

The way home was familiar to her, as Dib had gotten himself into the hospital so many times, he was a regular.

Two blocks from home Gaz heard rushed footsteps. She stopped, a blonde woman walked by and, shrugging, Gaz walked on.

Gaz squealed as cold, rough hands pulled her from behind and into an alley. A figure in all black, a hood over its head, put a finger into the shadows where Gaz supposed its mouth would be.

"You must save him!" It exclaimed, its voice seemingly female. "He's in danger!" Before Gaz could ask whom, she spoke again.

"Dib's solution lies in your head Gaz. You can't do it alone, you must…" A newspaper crumbled further down in the alley and glass broke. The figure turned its head in alarm, a few violet strands of hair escaping it's hooded cover.

"I'm sorry, I have to leave. Please do all you can!" She hastily removed her hands and quickly walked down the alley, her figure soon blending into the dark shadows.

It took Gaz but a minute to recover, and she quickly continued down the street. Her steps quickened, however, and she found herself running the rest of the way home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

          Gaz arrived home panting and paused to catch her breath.

          "What is going on?" She asked herself silently, holding herself up on the desk. She glanced at the calendar and shook her head.

          "It's been one week," Gaz realized. "One week without my goddamn Gameslave. I think I'm losing it!" She walked to the couch and slouched down on it, letting out a dull sigh as she looked next to her. Dirt and blood soiled the cushions. She grabbed a nearby blanket and covered the spots standing up when she was done.

          "This must be a nightmare! What is Dib doing to himself? Maybe if I go to sleep, I'll wake up." She ran up the stairs and into her room, sleeping as soon as her head hit the pillow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gaz woke up groggily, stretching widely. She turned and sat up, her cold toes dangly a few inches from the ground. It was then she realized that there was nothing under her. She rubbed her eyes and reluctantly focused them.

What she saw shocker her. This wasn't her world! It was a nightmare of broken buildings, the stench of blood, and horrendous creatures running amuck.

Gaz was floating far above the ground, close enough only to see the silhouettes and dark colors of the world beneath her. Blackish lightning struck behind her, causing a row of hair stand up on her back. She spotted a bigheaded figure that looked strikingly like her brother. The air passed around her, and she began a small, unwilling decent.

"It is Dib!" She realized. He was struggling to run down the street, a small looking creature with a monstrous set of teeth following close behind. It snapped at his heels, catching the edge of his pants in his mouth and ripped a chunk off, a small trail of blood and string making its way behind Dib.

Gaz was having a hard time taking all this in, and in her frustration she let out a scream. 

"Stop it!" Dib turned his head toward the sound, almost somersaulting down the street after hitting a crack. He got up quickly and ran faster than before. A young boy, oddly Gaz's lazy lab partner in science, ran his own race down the street. A large monster competed with him, constantly snapping and licking his lips. Suddenly, a long tongue escaped his mouth and gathered the boy up, chopping down greedily on his dark, tanned skin.

Gaz covered her eyes at the sight of the gore, the screams and vain pleads of the boy getting all the more quieter.

"Mother of the Tallests!" A familiar voice announced. Gaz turned her head in alarm to find Zim. His expression was as horrified as hers as he turned his head towards her. They locked eyes for a short moment before they disappeared, finding themselves in their beds. Their eyes wide, they found themselves covered in sweat, or something like it, as they tried to understand what the hell just happened.

**_To be continued…_**

****

**Note:** I hope that makes up for my major break in updates. I tried to get as detailed as I could, and I hope I did. Let's just hope that I won't have that bad of writer's block again!


	5. Nightmare Come True

A Nightmare Come True

By GS2aholic

_I woke up in a dream today_

_To the cold of the static/and put my cold feet on the floor_

_Forgot all about yesterday_

_Remembering I'm pretending to be who I'm not anymore_

_A little taste of hypocrisy_

_And I'm left in the wake of the mistake/slow to react_

_So even though you're so close to me_

_You're still so distant/and I can't bring you back_

_~Linkin Park, With You_

Gaz couldn't sleep for the rest of the night, visions from her dream plaguing her eyes whenever she closed them. It was an odd feeling, to be so helpless, so lonely when she always had the answers before. She shifted positions again, her brain trying to comprehend everything that had happened, every sign that could help her out. She growled to herself as she buried her fingers into her hair, frustrated with everything that moved. In the back of her mind she thanked God that she didn't have to worry about skool.

When the sun rose on the horizon and morning unfortunately came, Gaz was already up and eating in the kitchen. She poked and stirred her cereal, the marshmallows swirling in her bowl. She stopped stirring and watched the milk and swirling colors as they changed shades as quickly as they were made. She arched her eyebrows as the shades began to stay a steady red, the bits spinning faster and faster until they were merely a blur. Sleep deprived, she thought nothing of it until a few letters escaped from the whirlpool and arranged themselves into words.

_'Dib is suffering Gaz,'_

They seemed to sneer at her. She sat mesmerized as they sank into abyss and more came up.

_'And,'_

She furrowed her brow.

_'It's all your FAULT!'_

Gaz screamed and pushed against the table as the letters seemed to fly up at her. Her chair fell back and she landed roughly on the floor, stunned at what she had just seen. When the tornado of feelings and thoughts came to a stop, she rose from the dark tiles and stared over the chair as she picked it up.

Slowly approaching the table, she found that the milk was still and, though there were no more marshmallows, the sugarcoated bits floated innocently on the surface. Gaz grabbed the bowl and quickly dumped the contents into the sink, watching it form the deadly red tint again before washing it down with water.

Gaz turned and walked out of the kitchen, her appetite understandably lost. This event only added more confusion and her head was starting to hurt, not to mention spin wildly.

In the bathroom, Gaz opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out a bottle of aspirin. She subconsciously noticed that the room was now clean and void of blood: her dad probably sent a lady in to clear the evidence. She took the medicine swiftly with a cold glass of water, willing the pill to work as fast as she had taken it. Looking at the clock on the wall, Gaz saw that it was already 10 o' clock.

"Time sure flies when your having fun,' Gaz said aloud sarcastically, walking to the living room and sitting roughly on the couch.

TV control at hand, Gaz took to the task of channel surfing, disappointed to find that none of her shows were on. Tossing the remote aside, Gaz decided to watch whatever channel she had landed on. Heart sinking as she saw and heard the opening theme of Mysterious Mysteries, she wished her brother was here right now, bugging her about Zim and jabbering about his latest discoveries. As much as she appeared to hate him, she enjoyed his company more than even her games.

_"I'll never give up," _his voice flashed in her head. A statement he had made many times and lived up to just as easily, Gaz felt her heart lift if only slightly. If she was in his place, she knew with her whole being that he would not rest until she was safe. She hung her head in shame at what she had done so far. Pondered, merely pondered and thought and complained and whined. She hadn't acted yet. Not one little bit and she was mad at herself for that, for her attitude and laziness at her brother's suffering.

Gaz sighed and rose from her seat. It was time to visit Dib and get this party started.

~~~~

Having run most of the way, Gaz got to the hospital in only a matter of minutes. Going by memory, she got to Dib's room just as fast, glad she was inside as a smack of thunder indicated even more rain. Opening the door gingerly, her eyes automatically went to the pitiful figure that lied on the bed. They had shackled his arms to the bed, Gaz assumed to prevent more injury. His scratches and gashes were bandaged and each bruise shown brightly on his pale face.

Gaz walked quietly to his bedside, her fingers gently tracing a scratch that took up most of his hand in a rare sign of affection. A finger twitched and she quickly recoiled her own, looking at his calm, sleeping face. Pulling up a chair, Gaz sat down and laid her head on an empty area of the bed, using her arms as a pillow.

"Oh Dib, please help me figure this whole thing out. Please!" She begged in a whisper, pounding her fists lightly on the bed.

Gaz let out a sigh and closed her eyes only to get lost in thought. Soon, however, she was lost in a dream world instead.

 ~~~

Gaz looked around as a world formed in the darkness of her eyelids. At first glance, she could automatically tell that it was nothing like home. Flooded streets, blood smeared like paint on the walls, and not-to-mention an awful stench told Gaz that this place was in fact the place of her dream. Unable to believe it, she rubbed her eyes and when they readjusted, chaos ensued.

Monsters of all shapes, sizes, colors, and jaws ran free. Some laid around lazily, bathing in the mud and blood and others chased anything with legs. Horrible does not begin to describe the place that Gaz had found herself, but a ragged scream broke her from her thoughts.

"Gaz…help!" She heard her brother's voice scream. She looked around her, taking a few steps toward the voice, listening hard.

"…Dreams...real…hurts! You…" The voice was cut off again and she stopped her movement; the voices weren't from around her, they were under her.

Gaz crouched down and put her ear to the ground, not noticing the grime that lay beneath her.

"Zim…advanced… need to use! You'll understand it when you…it." For a moment the voice was strong and clear, but it began to fade and a desperate Gaz drug her head with it for every word.

"Please forgive me Gaz…anger. Mom…"

And that was all.

Gaz stood and rung out her now gooey and wet hair as she tried to put everything together. Okay, so she assumed the dreams were very real, she needed to go to Zim's for something she'd understand when she saw, and what was that about Mom? Maybe she was going nuts, but this made sense to her, if only a little.

"…Gaz, sweetie…" Was Dib talking to her again?

"Gaz, wake up."

Gaz flinched as a sudden stream of light hit her eyes violently. A redheaded nurse was shaking her gently and she realized that she had fallen asleep.

"Visiting hours are over, miss. You can come back tomorrow."

How long had she been asleep? She didn't have a chance to check the clock because she was pushed out of the room and began to walk down the hall in a daze. An itch on her face, Gaz reached up to scratch it and was horrified to feel something else besides her hand contact with her cheek. She looked at her hands and found brownish-red grime covering them thickly. Disgusted, she quickly whipped them on her dress and shoved them in her pockets.

What was going on?

To be Continued…

Author's note: I tried to make this longer, but I thought that that was a good place to end. Please review and give me tips and maybe some ideas! Oh yeah, and does anyone know how to make stories fit into the page more? I've had to edit this so many times to get all the words seen that it's driving me crazy!


	6. It's Like a Nightmare

It's Like A Nightmare

By GS2aholic

_I find the answers aren't so clear, wish I could find a way to disappear_

_All these thoughts they make no sense, I find bliss in ignorance_

Nothing seems to go away, over and over again, just like before 

_~Linkin Park –One Step Closer_

Gaz pulled the hood of her coat over her head to block the rain as she walked down the familiar road home. Mind swarming with thoughts, she was thankful that she had taken something earlier or the pain would be unbearable. Home at last, she didn't hesitate to open the door and take cover from the developing storm.

As desperate as she was, she wasn't quite desperate enough to go to Zim's: At least not yet anyway. Besides, her dad should be home today. She looked to the clock and saw that it was 12:30. Not hungry enough to eat, she decided to visit the Professor first.

Knocking loudly on the door but not awaiting an answer, Gaz descended the staircase into the lab. Looking around, she decided to head to the sparks that usually indicated his presence.

"Dad," She said simply, leaning casually in a table as she waited for an answer.

"Yes Gaz?" Professor Membrane questioned. It was not often that his daughter came here, so he stopped his work and turned to look at her.

Acting on a hunch, Gaz asked him for the device Dib had used on Halloween a few years ago.

"It's in storage. Now why would you need that?"

"I want to find out what's wrong with Dib."

The Professor was puzzled. "Why? I thought you hated him."

"Dad, I…" Gaz sighed. How was she going to explain this?

"I don't hate Dib. It's just a brother-sister thing you wouldn't understand. Besides, even if I did, he's my brother. Of course, I would be surprised if you would even remember this." Gaz's tone rose and she could see her father's eyes flash dangerously from behind his goggles.

"Gaz, I am your father and…" He began calmly, but he was cut off.

"And you should act like one! Every time we come to you, you do nothing to help us!"

"The world needs my help." His voice cracked as he tried to keep it steady, watching his daughter cautiously.

"Fuck the world!" Gaz said. She was screaming now and her hands were shaking in fists of rage. "Fuck the world and fuck you. Your son is in danger and all you care about is pop-free bubble wrap and long-lasting gum." Her voice went down to a whisper. "You may think of yourself as a good parent, but you will never be half the one mom was."

"Don't bring her into this!"

"Don't run away from the past, daddy," she spat. "But please, run away from us."

"G-go to your room. Go to your room and stay there until I say you can come out." His voice was menacing, shaking as much as Gaz's hands.

"Your not here enough to act like you care. Your not here enough to be a father and your not here enough to order me around." Gaz turned on her heel and stalked out of the room, clearing a dusty table of its glass contents in her anger. Heart beating fast, she ran to the front door.

_Stupid dad, stupid world and stupid, stupid pride!_ The one person that she thought she could trust was as slimy and raw as the rest of them. It looked like she would have to swallow the rest of her pride and go to Zim's, rain or not.

~~~

Try as she might, Gaz could never forget where Zim's house was. She had been there so many times to retrieve her brother that it was like a second home…almost.

Okay, she was there, now to get in safely. The same, freaky eyed lawn gnomes stood guard and she always got passed them the same way.

Gaz walked over to gnome #1 and hid behind it. She reached up, whistled, and waved gracefully, listening to the mechanical noises as the others moved their heads to see the disturbance. In the blink of an eye, Gaz ran to another as the first was incinerated until all but one had gone.

Taking a deep breath, Gaz picked up a stick and ran behind the gnome. After a few seconds of nothing, she threw the stick in front of the gnome who shot at it, causing a giant crater and a blast that threw Gaz through the air. Recovering as quickly as she could and nursing a nasty cut on her thigh, she climbed into the bushes and uncovered a brick that she had used so many times before. 3…2…1…

"Who dares set foot on the lawn of the almighty Zim?" A voice called out into the rainy night. Right on time. Gaz could see him poke his head out the door, recoiling it immediately as it let out a hiss.

"Ahhh! It burns!" She could hear the door begin to close as she suppressed a giggle and she stretched to wedge the brick in-between it and the doorframe. She did this because the computer could tell when a stranger opened the door, but it couldn't tell when the door never closed in the first place.

Not before pausing to congratulate herself, Gaz stood to enter the house but slipped in the mud and landed with a sickening slosh. Groaning, she unstuck herself and managed to get into the doorway. Picking up the brick, Gaz turned to throw it into the bushes but paused when she saw something sticking out of the mud. Gingerly reaching for it, she got it unstuck, threw back the brick, and began to examine it. Much like a syringe, it was large on one end but small on the other, though it looked like it attached to something. Curious, Gaz put the large end to her face and found that it was meant to look through. Just in case, she stuck it in her coat pocket and proceeded to entering the house.

Her thoughts on remembering how to get into the lair were interrupted by a familiar squeal and hug.

"Hello!" GIR said excitedly. His dog costume was on halfway, his blue eyes shinning up at Gaz.

"Do you have my waffles?" He asked, clapping his hands together as he let go of her.

"No, I don't."

His eyes turned red. "Then you are an intruder!" His eyes grew blue as he saw what she pulled out of her pocket. It was a bar of chocolate, melted, but still good.

"Oooo, gimme!" GIR begged, walking closer to her.

"Only if you answer me a few questions." GIR nodded.

"What is the easiest way to get to your master's lab?" GIR pointed to a table in the corner, still eyeing the candy.

"Do you know if Zim had any plans to destroy Dib right bow?" The robot shook his head.

"Okay." Gaz thought a moment. "Does he have anything built for toying with dreams or has he mentioned anything about one?"

"Master said something about one on Halloween once. Then he yelled at me."

Gaz threw him the candy and he dived for it, eating it whole then looking out the window for his waffle man. Gaz, on the other hand, walked immediately to the corner table. She cleared her throat then did her best to imitate Zim's voice.

"Computer, take me to where Zim is." It seemed to work as the table moved out of the way and a platform came up to get her. It took her where she asked in a matter of seconds.

Gaz had to jump into hiding right away, startled to see Zim's back as soon as she stepped off the elevator. She peaked over the top of the equipment, watching him closely but not disturbing him.

"Computer, are you sure you couldn't find any sign of tampering with my brain? Anything to drug my dreams?"

"Positive"

"What could Dib be up to?" Zim began to pace and Gaz hide completely from view. "Perhaps his younger sibling has something to do with this. Planted something on my body when she touched me. That might be what that feeling was. Computer! Full body scan!"

Gaz shifted positions and gasped as she slipped on the mud she had tracked in and skidded into the wall. She held her breath and prayed Zim hadn't heard her.

"Well, well, speak of the tallests." Zim smirked. "Computer, cancel scan and cage this human."

"Wait Zim, I mean you no harm."

Zim ignored her.

"Engaged cages," The computer announced and Gaz did the first thing that came to her mind. She raced toward Zim and grabbed him around the waist, knocking him to the ground as she did so. A sort of glass wall surrounded them from floor to ceiling and Gaz grinned triumphantly as she let go of the alien and stood up. Zim got up and looked himself over, checking for any bugs or devices on his body. _I got that feeling again. Evil human._

"Damned human stink!" He cursed as he took notice of the walls. He screamed orders to the computer and cursed more when he received no answer. "I forgot it's sound proof." He turned to Gaz. "You little!"

"Zim, hear me out."

"Very well, I can destroy you later."

Zim sat on the cold floor and Gaz followed suit, folding her legs under her. She flinched as she felt her wound gain and stretched out the offending limb.

"Do you happen to have any bandages on you?" She asked hopefully.

"Of course. When you live with GIR you keep spares." He handed Gaz a wrap of gauze and tape and she proceeded in telling the story as she aided her leg.

To be continued…

Author's note: whew, what was this rated again? Anyone think I should turn it up, or is the current rating fine? Hope you like the chapter. Two in two days! Consider this a Thanksgiving present! Please review!


	7. The Nightmare Before Tomorrow

The Nightmare Before Tomorrow

By GS2aholic
    
    Forfeit the game / Before somebody else
    
    Takes you out of the frame /And puts your name to shame
    
    Cover up your face / You can't run the race
    
    The pace is too fast / You just won't last

~Linkin Park

"And so I'm here," Gaz concluded as she shifted positions for the fourth time that hour, her bandaged leg uncomforting her.

Zim had an unreadable expression as he stared at Gaz's mouth, watching every word form on her lips as she finished. The whole thing had lasted for little more than an hour, Zim interrupting to tell what happened when he last saw Dib. They both took turns on the shared dream, telling everything from what they saw and felt to what they did when they woke up.

"Amazing," Zim said finally. "It's amazing what you humans do for each other and how you hide everything."

Gaz laughed lightly. "It amazes me too sometimes. So, will you help me?"

"Why should I help you? With Dib out of the way, the world will be mine in two days."

"But isn't it an empty victory? Wouldn't you rather destroy him yourself than by a dream?" Zim's eyes twitched, but he said nothing.

"Come on, please?" Gaz begged. She leaned forward slightly on her hands and gave him a smile.

"Oh all right, but only because I want to destroy him myself."

"Good." Her smile faded. "Now to get out of here."

"It's indestructible, I made it my…" He trailed off as he watched Gaz get up and kick the glass, causing it to shatter outward.

"You were saying?" She walked through the glass and turned to look at him. He glared and stood up, following her out. Gaz gazed around, looking for anything of interest that might help. In one corner, she saw a machine that looked a lot like something from The Matrix.

"Zim, what's that?"

"It's an alternate reality machine. I found out about it on one of your human movies and tried it out with a few minor adjustments. It just gave me a nasty shock.

Gaz walked over to it and looked it over.

"What did you change?"

"Well, in the movie they had a connector for the back of your neck, but I didn't want to deal with something like that. Instead, I tried to make it so you just look through a scope with what you wanted on mind and it would create a portal to take you. Absolute failure." Gaz looked at what Zim originally used for a scope and laughed. It was made of plastic and looked big enough to look through with one eye. It was hanging from the ceiling and a tube connected from the bottom and ended in a foot's length. Another tube started there and lead through a large complicated board and out to a large hole in the floor.

"I think I see what's wrong."

"What?"

"This." She pointed to the offending piece. "It's too small for a worm to crawl through." Zim actually looked embarrassed.

"Well if you're so advanced, fix it yourself."

"I'd be glad to."

Gaz was quiet for a moment as she looked everything over, observing placements and connections. Overheated, she took off her coat and was startled as it clanged as it hit the floor. She looked at it and realization hit her. She reached for her pocket and pulled an object from it. She looked at Zim's face with amusement.

"I found it in the front of your house."

"And I found it years ago on Halloween. Forget what I used it for though, but it wasn't what it was intended for."

Gaz nodded her head on acknowledgment as she chipped off the dried mud. Zim was not pleased with the mess and ordered his computer to clean it up, which it immediately obeyed. The girl removed Zim's original eyepiece and replaced it with her scope. She attached the shorter tube at the small end and went to the board.

"Okay Zim, looked through the piece and tell me what you see."

Zim walked over, put his eyes to it, and gasped.

"What?" Gaz said, unable to hide her excitement.

"I see… nothing. It doesn't work any better."

Gaz frowned at him and switched the machine off.

"We need something else between the eyepiece and the board."

In the next hour, they tried a large number of things with disappointments each time. GIR joined them in this hour but his suggestions weren't helping.

"Is there anything that could work?" Gaz questioned. She sat down on a chair GIR had suggested and sighed.

"Of course. Anything's possible." Zim said, turning the machine off before sitting on a large metal box they had used as a platform for possibilities.

"But will we find what's possible?" Gaz put her head in her hands and ran them through her hair. She was pulled from her despair as a loud siren blared through the base.

"Intruder alert!" The computer bellowed, flashing lights as well to the attention. Zim stood and walked to a large screen and keyboard. He pressed a button and the alarm stopped.

"Computer! Show me the location of the intruder." A complicated map showed up on the screen as Gaz got up and walked behind Zim. A large plot labeled Sector 21 blinked green and Zim translated it for her.

"He's in the front yard. GIR, report to sector 21 and do a thermal scan. Put it on screen." GIR's eyes glowed their rare red.

"Yes, my master." He activated his rockets and blasted from the room.

Zim stared at the screen and no image came. He growled softly.

"Idiot robot. I sometimes think the tallests gave me a defective one purposely."

Before Gaz could respond, GIR flew back into the room, a large black box with a blue insignia on his back.

"Look! A present!" He squealed. He dropped the box in front of Zim and sat on the floor in front of it.

"GIR! How dare you bring that in here! It could be a bomb or… something. Computer, get rid of it immediately!" A large purple hook came from the ceiling and latched itself onto the package.

"No wait!" Gaz intervened. Zim turned to look at her but she was already making her way to the box. The computer brought in its claws and Zim was wordless at the obedience.

"Don't worry Zim. It's harmless." She traced the insignia with a pale finger, it's half filled flask and blue lightning bolts familiar to her. She walked to the other side and 'Membrane Labs' shone up at her in blue letters. She was quiet for a moment before speaking again.

"Its from my dad."

Eyes shining in disbelief and hope, Gaz opened the box with steady fingers. She pushed away the foam and tore away the bubble wrap, shocked at what she found.

It was large and purple, wires and two thin pipes sticking out of its rectangular shape. The two poles connected, making a tunnel of sorts through the confusing box. In the tiniest of letters on one of the poles were the following words:

Demensional Preservation and Creation Mechanism Use with caution! 

"I-it's the dimension machine," Gaz said, turning to look at Zim. "We have what we need."

"But how did he know you were here?" Zim asked, but Gaz wasn't listening.

"Computer, Move this machine and place it on the platform." The claw once again descended and clamped onto the box. After an excited GIR stopped running in the path, the box was in place.

Zim walked to the controls as Gaz walked to the device. She connected the tube from the scope to one poll and did the same with the rube from the control panel.

"Turn it on Zim," He nodded and obeyed. Both gasped as the wires began to glow purple and the machine whirred. Thinking hard, Gaz pictured her nightmare world in her head and looked through the eyes piece. She saw it through the piece exactly as it was in reality. She smiled.

"It works," She said. She turned to Zim and followed his stare. He was looking at the hole on the floor. In it flowed various colors, all dark, swirling wildly.

"That it does," Zim agreed. Gaz walked to the portal and looked closely at it. She saw only the colors and swirls.

"Weeee whoooo! The waffle man is here!" GIR screeched. He zoomed past Gaz with such speed that she began to teeter on the spot. Before she had a chance to step back and gain balance, she lost it and began to fall. Closing her eyes, she was ready for whatever happened, except the hand that grasped her arm and pulled her up. Gaz felt a blush cross her face as she looked to her savior. Zim smirked at her, then turned around.

"We need equipment first."

"We?"

"Of course. You didn't expect to go alone, did you?"

Zim walked to a large metal door and typed in a code. Gaz followed as he walked into a room with four doors. On was labeled 'Sector 18 Weapon Arsenal' and they entered here.

Hundreds, maybe thousands of weapons hung from the racks in the room. Areas were labeled neatly and arranged by size.

"My rulers didn't want to give me this weapons, they said I was too advanced to need to use them. They request that I only use my self-destruct button. I'm sure that my tallests will forgive me since it's important." He turned to look at her. "What do you think you will need?"

"Well, guns definitely. Maybe a few knifes and a grappling hook."

Zim took to getting her requests and his own items, handing her a medium, waterproof leather belt.

"What kind of gun?"

"Machine."

He took down a small, black gun and handed it to her. He got a gun for himself and showed her were everything was at.

"What type of gun is yours?"

"Laser. Very powerful, but it needs to recharge for a few seconds sometimes."

"Ready to go then?"

Gaz nodded and went to the doors with Zim behind her. They walked to the machine and in front of the controls.

"Computer. Don't let anyone near these controls until we are back. And don't let anyone in or out of this portal besides us."

"How long will the portal stay up?"

"If nothing interferes, until we turn it off."

"Okay, we go in together."

"And if something goes wrong?"

Gaz shrugged. "Better together then alone, right? On three then?"

Zim went to her side and took her hand. At her odd look he said: "Better together than alone."

With that and the count of three, the two disappeared into the swirling colors.

To be continued… 

Author's Note: I'd just like to say that I think Zim's voice is adorable. Just like his laugh. Also, R/R and I'll get the next chapter up when I can.


	8. A Day in the Nightmare

A Day in the Nightmare 

By GS2aholic
    
    _Whatever life brings_
    
    _I've been through everything_
    
    _And now I'm on my knees again_
    
    _But I know I must go on_
    
    _Although I hurt I must be strong_
    
    _Because inside I know that many_
    
    _Feel this way_
    
    ~Creed _'Don't Stop Dancing'_

Gaz didn't look up until she felt a strong rush of air rustle her hair. She slowly opened her eyes and suddenly wished she hadn't. She was falling through the air at a great speed, the dark and bloody ground approaching quickly. She looked next to her and saw Zim, his eyes closed and hand still clasped with hers.

"Zim…" She stated shakily, a pit growing in her stomach. She wasn't afraid of heights, but falling certainly wasn't pleasant.

His eyes opened and a wave of fear washed over his face. It was replaced with mere shock, as taught in Invader Training, but his grip on her hand tightened. She tore her eyes away from him and back to the ground.

"My God," She whispered lightly, her heart thumping hard. "Oh my God!" She said louder, her voice shaking with panic.

"Stop!"

The rush of air ceased and with relief she noticed that they had, indeed, stopped.

Zim opened and closed his mouth wordlessly, unable to hide his surprise. They began a slow decent and they broke apart as soon as their feet reached the ground.

They both gazed around them, not sure how to react. The area was completely deserted, though the grounds had puddles of blood everywhere. A nasty, copper smell wafted into their senses and they scrunched their faces in an effort to beckon it away.

"Is it all… real?" Gaz asked, turning her eyes to Zim.

"As real as you and I," He replied, though he had to pinch himself to be sure.

The pair began to walk forward, their steps making sickening squelches on the ground. As they traveled, no words were spoken, as all their energy was concentrating on detecting any signs of danger.

"That… is just gross," Gaz stated, and it was. They had come to a long wall that extended all around the would-be city they were in. It had a pasty blood as mortar and the bricks were, well, they didn't want to know.

"Should we cross it?"

As an answer, Zim grasped Gaz around the waist and her eyes widened for a moment as Zim's spider legs came out of his Pak. This brought them up to, roughly, ten feet and they could see over the wall.

"Should we?" Zim asked back. Beyond the wall was what seemed to be a wasteland. Even the dimmest of persons could tell that havoc had once been wrecked here at the sight of the crumbling walls and the crusty skeletons. There was no sign of life and the wind blew sharply, the dust on the ground stirring.

"Might as well," Gaz replied. She pushed slightly on his arms, his grip crushing her ribs and her breathing was struggled. He let her slip a little until he was instead hold her under the arms.

Zim walked over the wall, the tips of his legs making a soft tapping in the deafening silence. The legs retracted when they were over and they were dropped with a light thud to the ground.

The ground here was solid, dry and dusty and the air smelled clean. Human and alien both were more relaxed and took deep breaths of the fresh air.

Gaz took the first steps forward with Zim soon following, the fall of their feet echoing against the crumbling walls.

Zim stopped suddenly and his antennae twitched, standing on end. He felt as though he was being watched and his eyes scanned the area in search of life. Gaz stopped and turned to look at him, her eyebrows rising questioningly. When she heard nothing, she turned to walk on.

She yelped and her heart skipped a beat as a red stream of light just missed her head. She had just turned to see who shot it when a small creature fell to the ground, blood seeping from its fanged mouth as steam rose from a hole in its head.

The startled girl grabbed the first weapon her hand touched on her belt and slung it through the air. The knife whistled softly and hit its enemy cleanly, impaling its eye. A quick glance at Zim told the girl that he had everything under control.

The street was now swarming with these small, leaping creatures and Gaz pulled her gun out instead. She shot at anything that game within a five foot radius, dust flying with every bullet or being that hit the ground.

"Dammit," She cursed, her gun clicking. She opened a pocket on her belt and pulled out a bullet pack, dropping the old one out of the gun and replacing it.

This move gave the creatures time to get close and her bloodcurdling scream ripped through the air as one jumped at her, sinking its fangs into her upper arm. Tears filled her eyes, anger and adrenaline kicked in and she shot the offending creature in the head as quickly as it could blink.

Not having time to look at her arm, it hung at her side as she shot with fury at every creature that dare come within her line of sight.

Five minutes later the once dry street was soaked with blood and the smell once again took over their senses. Every creature, save a few that ran away, was now dead. Adrenaline failing her, Gaz dropped her gun and herself to her knees as she clutched her arm. Zim made his way through the bodies and over to her, looking more tired than harmed, the Irken equivalent to sweat coating his brow. The purple haired girl applied first aid to the gashes on her arm, wrapping it with gauze and tape.

Zim raised an eyebrow at her in question of survival and Gaz replied by picking up her gun, sheathing it, and making her way through the mangled bodies.

To Be Continued… 

Author's note: I started this chapter a long time ago, but I've been going through some writer's block. PLEASE REVIEW! It helps a lot and jump-starts my brain. I know not much happens in this chapter, but I still hope it's decent. If possible, please write with some suggestions of anything! Events, how to make things freakier… please! 


	9. Once Upon a Nightmare

Once Upon a Nightmare 

By GS2aholic
    
    _The sun shines and I can't avoid the light_
    
    _I think I'm holding on to life too tight_
    
    _Ashes to ashes and dust to dust_
    
    _Sometimes I feel like giving up yeah_
    
    _I said sometimes I feel like giving up_

~Creed ~_Weathered_

Gaz and Zim walked on with no interruption for what seemed like hours. At every step came a flinch from the girl, her injured arm hitting her body stiffly. Zim did not dare comment for the sake of this demon's wrath and pride.

Also, with every mile or so, the landscape changed, the buildings going up as though evolution was before their very eyes.

They came to a stop at the end of this chain, Zim panting hard as a result of trying to keep up with the smaller being's steps. A large temple loomed before them, the frame of the huge entrance embroidered with gold and the steps to said entrance soaked with the result of many sacrifices.

Zim cleared his throat and the two made their way up the steps, neither daring to speak of the dangers imagined inside. It was very dark in this temple and both Gaz and Zim had to take out their flashlights to see. Upon the walls were carvings of beautiful detail, lined with precious metals and shining jewels. Gaz walked closer to these walls, her pale fingers tracing the lines of some of the art she studied. As she moved down the walls, these drawings got all the more familiar until a gasp and shuffle of feet broke the silence that had settled the area.

Zim, who had been studying the opposite wall, went to her side in alarm, questioning the girl with a quick glance.

"I…" The girl began. "This is my artwork!"

Zim glanced at the wall, the back at Gaz.

"I drew this when I was ten, right before Dim had that water balloon fight." She was talking more to herself than to the alien as she stared at the green monster pulling Dib into its mouth with its tongue.

"And… and this one before our family outing to Bloaty's." By now her eyes were wide with fright and she scanned the wall intently.

"This one was on homecoming night in 9th grade!" Zim looked at a beautiful picture of a girl, dressed fancy and hair up, on her knees surrounded with a sparkling pool of tears.

Any word, Zim was sure, would break this fragile fallen angel before him and thus he kept silent, wondering what to do. They had not gone over such a situation in Invader Training and a reluctant wave of pity took over his control. In the back of his mind, the egotistical Invader Zim cringed as his hand reached out to touch Gaz's shoulder in comfort. She whipped her eyes and turned to look at him, a small smile forming on her lips at this small gesture of comfort. She turned away and moved out of his reach, making her way through the beautiful hall and riding her face of all emotion that was once present. Zim glanced once more at the beauty in the pool of tears before following close behind.

~~~

The hallway they were in was long and exhausting. The musty smell from the aging walls mixed with that of blood made them both reluctant to stop and catch their breath. Flashing their lights on the wall frequently, the artwork seemed to last forever and Zim wondered how many pictures Gaz had drawn. No doors or windows branched off and it made the hall seem even longer, if possible, than it already was.

Zim's antennae twitched again at a soft clicking sound. Gaz seemed to hear this too and she stopped. All was void of sound for a few painful seconds until a loud rumble shook the ground. The floor beneath Zim cracked and the Irken had no chance to react as it collapsed under him. He fell for about 20 feet or so, landing hard on the ground. Weeks in the future he would remember this moment as a pain in the ass, which it was since that is where he had landed. He stood up and groaned, rubbing his hind end as he blinked the dust from his eyes. He looked above him and continued to blink, clearing his vision enough to make out Gaz's slender figure bent over the hole.

"Zim?" She questioned and was answered with an exaggerated moan from below.

Zim saw Gaz turn her head, gasp, and fling her arms over her head. He directed his flashlight beam up at her and noticed the once golden ceilings were now black and seemed to be moving.

"Bats…" He whispered and ducked down, covering his own head.

Whoever had once told him that bats were harmless was going to pay. The winged mammals swooped down at him, attacking his flesh with their sharp, miniscule fangs. He grunted, but remained still, not wanting to provoke these monstrously cute creatures. When the storm passed and peace was once again upon him, he stood and inspected his body. No permanent damage, which was a relief. He looked above him and was disappointed not to see Gaz.

"Gaz, are you there?"

"Yeah, just hold on."

A few minutes later there was a crackle as debris fell and the girl with violet hair propelled herself with her grappling hook into the abyss below. Gaz flinched as Zim directed his light into her face and held out her hand for him to take. He looked at it oddly and then pointed to his own hook.

"Don't be difficult, Zim. You wouldn't be able to hook it on anything anyway." She flexed her hand and Zim reluctantly took it. They both scaled the wall and made it up with little trouble. Gaz unhooked the rope and put it away before picking up her flashlight and continuing down the hall as though nothing happened.

As soon as they began walking, they stopped, finally coming to the end of the lengthy hallway. There were no more drawings, but instead off hieroglyphics that were none like either had ever seen. They formed and were to be read not left to right, but in a spiral and a harsh gash indicated where to start. In the middle of this display were two arrows pointing two ways and labels beneath both. On the left and right were two doors, both identical in magnificence and worth, but different in design and meaning.

Gaz and Zim took to studying these pictures, both at separate doors. Gaz was not shocked to find that these pictures were also of her creation. The door she studied had a picture of the Vampire Piggy Hunter whose sword impaled the infamous Vampire Piggy Queen in the chest. At closer study, Gaz found that the blood streaks began here and knew that this room was for the sacrifices. Not exactly wanting to go into this room, Gaz walked to Zim's door, where the blood began to fade but none-the-less went into. This door had a carving of two perfect hands clasped together, blood running down their wrists and the body of some poor creature lying beneath.

"You are very… odd, Gaz." Zim dared to say. Naturally he did not survive unharmed after such a comment and Gaz grinded his foot into the ground as best she could. She with the opened the door hands before more could be said and was greeted by about 10 graves. Golden crosses marked each and batched of black roses were planted in the heart of the plots. Gaz stayed still and did not make a sound, as though in fear of waking the dead. Zim, however, walked closer and studied the area with interest.

"Three are empty." Zim said and at closer glance Gaz found this to be true. He lit the stones up with his flashlight and read the names aloud.

"Justin Marcus," He moved to the next one. "Ell Membrane." A gasp escaped the poor girl once again and Zim looked at her.  
"That's my mom." She gulped. "Read the next one."

"Dib Membrane. That's all… Wait, here's another that hasn't been put up yet." He scooted along the ground and blew the dust from the before mentioned cross. "It says Zim." He shuddered and stood up.

"Let's go. I can't take much more of this." Gaz's voice cracked as she spoke and she turned to leave.

Zim turned around to follow but was stopped by a horribly ugly creature that blocked the doorway. He dropped his flashlight in surprise and it clicked off. He bent down and picked it up, but did not turn it back on.

"You're not going anywhere," The being said in a high-pitched voice. As soon as he finished, Zim heard a click and the whole room got dark.

"Argh! Turn the light back on!"

There was a hurried shuffle, the door slammed and a hand gripped his shoulder.

"Get up and hurry!" Gaz's hushed voice commanded. Zim obeyed and he was dragged the opposite direction by Gaz, his hand clasped with her's. It was a wonder they did not lose their grip, as both hands were sweaty and shaky with nerves. Even more oddly, she stumbled and fell often, scurrying up as though being pulled along.

"Quickly, in here," A voice hissed at them and Zim knew that it wasn't Gaz who had been leading. They were heaved up a wall and into what seemed like a vent that smelled absolutely retched. The door to this vent closed and the voice urged them on. They both crawled as fast as they could, breathing ragged and harsh until they came to the end of this long tunnel. A larger vent was before them and Zim crawled up closer to peer through it.

"Hello fellow beings and welcome to another sacrifice to our beautiful Goddess. This sacrifice is a 161/2 year old boy who angered out Goddess for days on end with his laziness."

"Damn Bastard!" A snarling voice yelled and this led to an uproar in the room.

"SILENCE!" The previous voice roared and all obeyed.

"Let the ceremony begin!" The sound of drums filled the room and thousands of candles were lit as the body of a boy Gaz has previously thought was eaten was carried into the room. This was not what Gaz and Zim were looking at, however. Illuminated by the light of the candles was a huge carving on the wall of none other than…

Gaz.

To be continued… 

Author's note: Well, this was a pain to type up, but it's done. Please, please, if you read, review! I cannot emphasize this enough. I would also like predictions on what might happen, or what you want to happen. Who knows, I might just use them!


	10. The God on Mt Nightmare

The God On Mt. Nightmare 

By GS2aholic

_Hold your head high/Don't look down _

_I'm by your side/Won't back down _

_You wanted a hero tonight _

Well I'm not made of steel/ I'm not made of steel 

_But your secret's safe with me_

~Our Lady Peace 'Made of Steel'

Zim turned his attention from the drawing to Gaz. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was open.

"I take it you had no idea you were a goddess." 

The look Zim received told him she hadn't. Their eyes moved back to the scene below.

The drumming grew louder and the room began to fill with rhythmic chanting as Justin was marched to the front of the room. He was laid upon a large stone block and the chanting suddenly stopped. All candles except those surrounding the boy were put out.

"We've got to do something," Gaz whispered.

"What?"

Gaz was silent for a moment, then: "Create a distraction, but don't let yourself be seen."

The voice of one of the monsters was heard, chanting solo. They saw a knife being drawn from the shadows and the boy beginning to stir.

"Now."

"But what will you be…"

"I'll be fine, just go!"

Zim, recognizing a pointless argument, pushed out the vent with his hands. He kept it in his hold and jumped from the vent, his spider legs catching him before he fell far. Since the room was so full of detailed carvings, there were so many nooks to climb on that Zim managed to get to the ceiling pretty easily. He eased himself around the room until he was above the doors to the chamber. With a deep breath, Zim dropped the vent.

Meanwhile, Gaz climbed down the wall from the vent. She moved swiftly once she hit the floor, moving towards the sacrifice without a sound.

A loud clanging echoed through the room and all the creatures turned their head away from Justin. The head monster walked to the front of the block, surveying the area and talking quietly with others nearby. 

Gaz took her chance and ran to Justin. She linked her arms under his and pulled him gently from the table. His head jostled and knocked against her fists roughly as she began to run backward into the shadows. She bit her cheek to stifle a scream as hands gripped her under the arms and picked her up from the ground. She looked up and, seeing that is was only Zim, relaxed.

Gaz adjusted Justin in her arms as Zim transported them around the room. Unlike the other one, this room had two doors. One led to the hallway, a heavy door covering it; the other was covered by nothing and was where Justin had been brought through. Since it would be a more silent way out, Zim headed towards the open one.

A scream broke the silence in the room and Gaz hurried to cover Justin's mouth. However, it was too late and the monsters below had spotted them. They lit their candles and some began to shout orders. 

"So much for not being seen," Gaz complained and kneed Justin roughly in the back.

Zim jumped from the wall to the floor, scurrying through the opening before any of the monsters could react. He contracted his legs and set Gaz on the ground. She in turn let go of Justin and all three began to run through the dark hall.

"What's going on?" Justin asked. His voice was raspy and often cracked, as he was a late bloomer when it came to voices.

"I wish I knew," Gaz replied.

The trio remained silent after that as they ran, the hall curving and jutting into separate halls for what seemed to be forever. The monster's footsteps had ceased to be heard five minutes into running, but they kept at it. Finally, a blast of light blinded them and they found themselves outside. Zim and Gaz didn't recognize this area and, looking behind them, found that it was behind the temple. Justin walked to the edge of the building and peeked around the side. He quickly pulled back behind and ran to the other two.

"The monsters…" He squeaked. "They are coming this way." 

Zim ran to the other edge and looked over. He came back to report that they were closing in that way too.

"We should probably split up," Zim suggested. It took all he could do to refrain from going on an egotistical run when Gaz agreed.

"You and Justin go back to the portal. Get him through and home then come back. I'll distract them."

They all nodded in agreement and went off their separate ways. Gaz ran straight away from the building and into the desert behind it. The yells of the monsters told her that her plan was working and she ran faster, drawing out her gun and shooting randomly at the monsters behind her when she dared to look back.

Zim extracted his legs and, grabbing onto Justin, scaled the walls of the building until they were onto it and began to run. Justin kept looking at him uneasily.

"Halloween costume," He said simply. Justin nodded and, despite Halloween being months away, bought the excuse.

Zim got them down from the temple once they had reached the edge and they headed off towards the portal.

~~~~~

Gaz had been running for only five minutes when the monsters stopped running again. She could faintly hear one say that they could catch her later and now was time for a snack before they turned and walked the other way. She kept running though in case it was a trick. Like all the times before, the landscape began to slowly change, here and there patches of brown grass littering the desert. It became more common until Gaz found herself in a brown field, dead wildflowers and black roses strewn around. Not planted, mind you, but instead seemed to have been placed there. She stopped her running and paused to catch her breath.

Gaz bent down and picked up one of the roses. She studied it closely and was surprised to find that its lifecycle sped up. It wilted in her hands, eventually becoming dust and blowing away in the wind. 

It was fascinating, to say the least, and Gaz picked up another. She dropped it soon after as she was pricked by a thorn. A drop of blood rolled down her finger from the cut and, after she tilted her hand, to the ground.

Feeling woozy, Gaz eased herself to the ground and laid back. 

_It's like Wonderland_, her mind told her. Or was it Sleeping Beauty? She couldn't remember. She giggled softly and curled up on her side. She was so tired. Her eyes closed and her breathing slowed. She found herself in a calm, dreamless sleep.

~~~~~ 

"How long will she be out, human?"

"Not for much longer. Wait, she's stirring now."

Gaz heard the voices, but could not fully make out the words. Her head was dizzy and her eyes were heavy but she pushed herself to wake up. When she finally awoke fully, she opened her eyes and sat up quickly. Ignoring the dizzy feeling she got, she stared wide-eyed at the woman in front of her.

"Mom?"

The violet-haired woman nodded and smiled gently. Her face was dirty, but it still radiated a pale beauty that Gaz remembered. It seemed so long ago when her mother had left Gaz, Dib, and her father but the anger was suddenly rekindled. Seeing Zim behind her, she stood and looked at him.

"Zim, let's go. I don't want to be here."

Gaz began to walk away but when she wasn't followed she turned.

"We can't leave yet."

"Why?"

Her mother answered. "Because I live in a place where it monsoons every other day and you have no chance of surviving if you leave. You can see for yourself, out that window."

Gaz followed her mother's finger and was disgusted at what she saw. A sheet of red water fell from the sky, random drops hitting the windowpane.

"Why would you want to live here?"

"Because most of the monsters can't handle too much blood. It makes them lose consciousness and they drown in the puddles. As far as I understand, it's a phobia of yours too. Only amplified a thousand times more."

"Why does so much of this place point to me?"

"Because it _is_ you, Gaz. Everyone has a part of them where their anger lives and their nightmares are born. Unfortunately, yours are more real. It's a whole new world."

To Be Continued… 

Author's Note: Whoo, new chapter. I wanted it to be longer… but I hit the block again. Ya know… writer's block? Who invented that anyway? Anywho, review please and I'll get to work on the next chapter. Also, if your interested, or just bored, and want to see my opinion on the Membrane Mom disappearance, read _Where Are You Christmas_.


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